Robins wrote:quicksand wrote:Robins wrote:
I need advise from fellow wazuans. Been a faithful follower of the forum since 2011 and enjoy reading the forums and it seems most of you have their things figured out.
So a little background about me; graduated in 2016 with a degree considered useless by most HRs, I've had several jobs in sales / B dvpt / training and eCommerce which are not in any way related to my degree. Lost my last job in 2019 after Govt crushed the industry I was working in and haven't had another or raised capital to start my own thing.
Now I'm at a point where I'm in debt and can't even fend for my familia. Don't know what next and I consider myself smart having helped my previous employers grow by at least *20 times each within months. These were mostly startups or struggling firms that I think took the risk with me due to my low salary demand.
Been applying for jobs with no success and someone was blunt about my degree being of no interest to employers despite the skills and knowledge I've gained over the years. What do I do now that I'm turning 30? Do a Harambe and enroll for an MBA to improve prospects ? Continue hunting which hasn't yielded results?
The background you have provided is way too little...first tell us what degree you attained and what industry you were in and may be the citizens here can give you ideas on how to strike out.
No degree is useless. Do not let HR departments define you or other people tell you what your self-worth is. Your brain took you to university and the education you received there must have refined it some more.
All kinds of people are made redundant, all the time - engineers, doctors, pilots ...being unable to earn currently is a function of demand and the state of the economy in the small, localised ecosystem you inhabit
International Relations and Diplomacy. I agree it's not useless as people adapt and gain skills. My favorite Prof told us education is not for specific roles but to open up your mind. I've worked with Saf dealers, an e-Commerce startup and the gambling industry. But the younger the HR and interview panels get, they seem to miss the point
1. Your problem is not the degree or lack of a job but frustration from lack of career progression.
2. You worked for 3 different employers, in 3 different industries in 4 years! An year on one job doesn't give you time to learn the job and the industry properly. You need at least 3 years in one industry or on one role to obtain marketable skills on the job.
3. After three or 4 years on a job, you should be progressing to the role of a supervisor which means that you have honed your technical skills and are ready to deal with people issues e.g. delegating, training new hires, taking on basic managerial roles. Don't cheat yourself that with one year of experience you helped your employers grow *20 times, unless you were CEO with growth targets. Acknowledge the humble roles you played within the organizations that you worked for.
4. Is an MBA appropriate at this point in time? Honestly, I don't think so. MBA is useful for Senior managers with a clear career progression and 5-10 years experience in their job.
5. What next?
(a) The best approach is to choose one line of work e.g. if marketing focus on being the best marketing person out there.
(b) Grow your skills e.g. attend marketing certification courses, join a marketing guild/ Institute.
(c) Demonstrate your knowledge in your line e.g. by blogging on topical issues in your line, volunteer for roles within the organization, volunteer to lead small teams at work etc.
(d) Once you are well established in your specific career, you can aim at improving on skills that get you promoted to the next levels...
All the best.
Life is short. Live passionately.